Throughout history and myth, there is always an Adversary. Our society teaches us in terms of black and white. There is good or evil, right or wrong, and strong or weak. The majority usually claims to be on the side that is “good”, while those on the opposing side are most definitely “bad”. This scenario is seen in almost every facet of our lives. Some countries are our allies, others our enemies, and those are the people who are out to “get” us.

We can find this same dysfunctional thinking in our own families, in the communities we grow up in, and especially in organized religions. Everywhere we turn, there is a right way to act, to think, to dress, to speak, and god help you if you’re a rebel! Why is it we are conditioned to fit ourselves into these neat little boxes where information is constantly fed to us by some greater authority who only has our best interests at heart?

I, like Loki, like Prometheus, like Lucifer, like all Adversaries, have never fit into neat little boxes. In all honesty, we prefer black to pastels, and, we always arrive “fashionably late”. More often than not, I find those who are clearly connected to Loki who are still restrained in those little boxes — err, coffins.

While I completely understand that Loki comes to each of us in his own ways, he still comes to us as Adversary, to show us that which we have yet to uncover. Often we are so mesmerized by the information we are constantly being fed that we fail to see that there is an entire world of knowledge out there that we have yet to even explore.

There is no black and white. There is gray, a perfect balance of the two elements. The Adversary is always gray, yet can be either black or white in certain situations. For example, black is often associated with darkness and the mysterious, while white is associated with knowledge and revelations. The Adversary certainly bestows us with the knowledge of enlightenment, but is also our companion on our journey into the darkest corners of Self.

How does this tie in to our relationship with Loki? By bringing awareness to the fact that we are but one small piece of a giant puzzle, and that our our individual contribution, our ability to take charge of ourselves and make choices honors Loki by showing him that we have received his illumination. Our ability to proceed upon our path without expecting to be carried is an important turning point in our journey.